Home / Current Issue / Paper 1719174
Effects Of Processed Dry Bird Droppings on Solar Panel Performance
Subject area: Science,Engineering and Technology · Area of research: Renewable Energy
DOI: 10.64388/IREV9I12-1719174
Abstract
The performance degradation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels due to environmental contaminants has become a significant concern in solar energy applications. This study investigated the effects of processed dry bird droppings on the performance of solar panels under outdoor environmental conditions at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, Nigeria. Two identical photovoltaic modules were employed for the experiment: one module was maintained in a clean condition while the second module was deliberately soiled using processed dry bird droppings. Experimental measurements involving solar intensity, ambient temperature, current, and voltage were recorded at 30-minute intervals between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm over a three-day period. The results revealed that bird droppings significantly reduced the electrical output performance of the photovoltaic panel. The highest power output recorded for the clean panel was 6.330 W, whereas the soiled panel produced only 3.124 W under similar operating conditions. The highest percentage decrease in power and efficiency were observed to be 54.22% and 54.13% respectively. The findings established that bird droppings accumulation adversely affects photovoltaic efficiency and overall energy generation. The study therefore recommends regular cleaning and maintenance of photovoltaic modules in order to sustain optimum system performance.
Keywords
Solar Photovoltaic, Bird Droppings, Solar Panel Efficiency, Soiling Effect, Renewable Energy
References
[1] Darwish, Z. A., et al., “Effects of Temperature and Dust on Photovoltaic Performance,” Renewable Energy Journal, vol. 45, pp. 25–35, 2019.
[2] Ali, H., et al., “Impact of Dust Deposition on Photovoltaic Modules,” Solar Energy Research, vol. 78, no. 4, pp. 112–120, 2017.
[3] Elminir, H. K., et al., “Effect of Dust on Solar Photovoltaic Performance,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 20, pp. 120–129, 2016.
[4] Rahman, M. M., et al., “Influence of Dust on Solar Panel Efficiency,” International Journal of Energy Research, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 55–63, 2018.
[5] Sulaiman, S. A., et al., “Effects of Dirt Accumulation on Photovoltaic Panels,” Journal of Cleaner Energy, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 89–96, 2017.
[6] Nnorom Achara and Dignite Yusuf, “Photovoltaic Dust Accumulation and Cell Surface Temperature,” Renewable Power Systems Journal, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 40–48, 2020.
[7] Sharma, D. K. and Khan, J. S., “Effect of Dust and Dirt on Photovoltaic Performance,” Solar Technology Review, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 88–95, 2019.
[8] Umar, A., et al., “Photovoltaic Performance Degradation Caused by Dust Accumulation,” Energy Conversion and Management, vol. 50, no. 6, pp. 145–152, 2021.
[9] Wang, T., et al., “Dust Deposition Modelling on Photovoltaic Modules,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, vol. 125, pp. 300–308, 2020.
[10] Spring, A. K., “Dust Accumulation on Concentrated Solar Power and Photovoltaic Surfaces,” Renewable Energy Systems, vol. 35, no. 5, pp. 211–220, 2019.
How to cite this paper
@article{1719174,
author = {Idongesit Monday Okon, Abdulazeez Haruna; Nnorom Achara; Aisha Sa’ad, Mary Samuel; Muhammad Mahmud Jamil, Wilson Uwuigbusun Oduwa; Monday Amodu Imafedia, Owolabi Babatope Layi; Shuaibu Ahmed},
title = {Effects Of Processed Dry Bird Droppings on Solar Panel Performance},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {9},
number = {12},
pages = {3088-3091},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1719174.pdf},
abstract = {The performance degradation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels due to environmental contaminants has become a significant concern in solar energy applications. This study investigated the effects of processed dry bird droppings on the performance of solar panels under outdoor environmental conditions at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, Nigeria. Two identical photovoltaic modules were employed for the experiment: one module was maintained in a clean condition while the second module was deliberately soiled using processed dry bird droppings. Experimental measurements involving solar intensity, ambient temperature, current, and voltage were recorded at 30-minute intervals between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm over a three-day period. The results revealed that bird droppings significantly reduced the electrical output performance of the photovoltaic panel. The highest power output recorded for the clean panel was 6.330 W, whereas the soiled panel produced only 3.124 W under similar operating conditions. The highest percentage decrease in power and efficiency were observed to be 54.22% and 54.13% respectively. The findings established that bird droppings accumulation adversely affects photovoltaic efficiency and overall energy generation. The study therefore recommends regular cleaning and maintenance of photovoltaic modules in order to sustain optimum system performance.},
keywords = {Solar Photovoltaic, Bird Droppings, Solar Panel Efficiency, Soiling Effect, Renewable Energy},
month = {June},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I12-1719174}
}